Tak
Tak Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
The Board
Tak is a simple two-player strategy game. The goal is to build a road, a line of pieces connecting opposite sides of the board.
You can play Tak on different sizes of board, from 3x3 to 6x6 and higher. The board on the back of this book is a "hybrid 5x5" board, meaning that it can be used for any size game up to 5x5.
To play a 5x5 game, use the 25 diamonds. For a 4x4 game, play on the 16 squares. For a 3x3 game, use just the inner nine diamonds.
Tak boards can be 3x3, 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, or even larger. The "Classic Set," the first retail edition of Tak, includes a double-sided 6x6 board.
Connections: Spaces on the board are connected only by their edges. In Tak, things are not adjacent diagonally, and pieces do not move diagonally.
Cardinal Directions: In examples, it is sometimes helpful to use cardinal directions (north, south, east, west) to describe movement or placement. These directions are not actually on the board.
The Pieces
In a 5x5 game, each player uses 21 standard pieces called "stones," plus one special piece called the "capstone." Stones can be played in two ways: flat and standing.
Flat Stones: Most stones will be played flat. In this orientation, they are called "flat stones" or just "flats." Flat stones can stack up, as a result of movement (see below).
Standing Stones: If a stone is played on end, it is a "standing stone" or "wall." Nothing can be stacked on a standing stone, and it does not count as part of a road.
Capstones: Capstones embody the better aspects of both standing and flat stones: they do count as part of a road, but they can't have another piece stacked on top. In addition, a capstone by itself has the ability to flatten a standing stone.
Setting Up
The board starts empty. All pieces begin in the player's "reserve," which just means the pieces that are not yet on the board.
The number of pieces each player uses is based on the size of the board:
| Board Size | 3x3 | 4x4 | 5x5 | 6x6 | 8x8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stones | 10 | 15 | 21 | 30 | 50 |
| Capstones | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Note that capstones are used only on boards of size 5x5 and higher. Also, there are no numbers for 7x7, because it is rarely played.
Starting Player: In your first game, determine randomly who will go first. In subsequent games, take turns going first.
The First Turn: On the first turn, each player will place one of their opponent's stones. You may play this stone in any empty space, and it must be played flat. After the first turn, play proceeds normally. Example: if White goes first, White plays a Black stone, then Black plays a White stone, then White takes the first normal turn.
The Goal
The object is to create a line of your pieces, called a road, connecting two opposite sides of the board. The road does not have to be a straight line.
In a winning example, Black wins the game by connecting two opposite sides of the board with a road. Each space along this path has a stack with a black flat stone on top.
Other Victory Conditions
Flat Win: If either player runs out of pieces, or if the board is completely covered, then the game ends immediately and the player with the most flat stones (on top of stacks) wins. If this count is tied, then the game is a draw.
Double Road: If a player creates a winning road for both players with the same move, then the active player is the winner. (This is quite rare.)
On Each Turn
On your turn you may either place a piece in an empty space, or move one of the stacks under your control.
If you place your last piece, or if you fill the last space on the board, the game ends immediately. See Winning the Game, below.
Place: You can place a flat stone, a standing stone, or your capstone in any empty space on the board. (You never play a piece directly on another one. Stacks form only as a result of movement.)
Move: You can move one or more pieces in a stack that you control. A "stack" of pieces can be any height, including just one piece. "Control" means that your piece is on top.
To move the stack, take any number of pieces off the top (up to the carry limit, defined below), and move them in a straight line (but not diagonally), dropping at least one piece off the bottom in each space along the way.
The pieces that you drop will cover up any stacks that are already there.
Standing stones and capstones cannot be covered, which means that all the spaces in your path must either be empty or contain flat stones.
A capstone can, by itself, move onto a standing stone and flatten it. An example of this type of move is given below.
Movement Examples
Understanding movement is the key to the game, so below are three examples of how pieces move.
Moving One Piece: The black piece in the example above can move to three of the four adjacent spaces as indicated.
If it moves north, it moves into an empty space. If it moves east, it covers a white piece. If it moves south, it covers a black piece. It cannot move west, because that space is occupied by a standing stone.
Standing stones and capstones move in the same way as flat stones. If this piece were a capstone, it would also have the option to move west, flattening the standing stone there and covering it.
Because you must drop at least one piece in each space as you go, a stack of a single piece can move only one space. Taller stacks can move farther, as shown in the next examples.
Moving a Taller Stack: At left is an example of making a move with a taller stack. White controls this stack, with a standing stone on top. She decides to move east. (Movement is always in a straight line.)
1: White can take as many as five pieces off the top of this stack. (See carry limit, below.) That's the whole stack, and she decides to take it all. She could also have left one or more pieces behind. In each space along the path, White must drop at least one piece. These pieces come off the bottom of the stack.
2: In the first space, she decides to drop two pieces, which will leave her in control of that space. She carries the remaining three pieces onward.
3: On the second space, White decides to drop two pieces again. This will give her control of this stack as well.
4: She moves only the top piece, the standing stone, into the last space. The end result of this move is shown in figure 4.
This single move gave White control of all three spaces, leaving Black in control of no spaces at all!
The rest of this board is empty, to make the example more clear. In a normal game, Black would probably still have control of some other spaces.
But it's not impossible for a move like this to happen in a real game. If that were the case, Black could not move on the next turn, since he controls no stacks; he would have to place a new piece.
Tall stacks are quite versatile. White had many other options with this stack. She could have moved it to the north or south, or she could have left different numbers of pieces in each position.
Moving Capstones: Capstones move like any other piece, except that they have one extra option: By itself, a capstone can flatten a standing stone. In this example, Black will move his capstone two steps, to flatten White's standing stone.
1: Black could move up to five of the pieces in this stack, but he elects to leave two pieces behind, and move just three pieces (the capstone and the two beneath it) to the next space. This leaves a black stone in control of the original space.
2: To flatten the standing stone, the capstone will have to act alone. So Black leaves the other pieces on the middle space, and moves the capstone by itself onto the standing stone.
3: Figure 3 shows the end result of this move. Black has flattened White's standing stone, but has left White in control of the middle stack. This is not perfect for Black, but this is fairly common, because capstones often end up on top of pieces of the opposite color. The end position shows why: Black has flattened White's standing stone, so he again finds his capstone atop a White flat.
Note that capstones can flatten stones of either color (not just the opponent's color).
As in the previous example, the player had many options for what pieces to leave where. The only requirement was that in order to flatten the standing stone, the capstone had to finish alone.
Calling "Tak": There are two schools of thought on calling "Tak." This is simply a warning to your opponent that you are one move away from winning. Some players believe it is unnecessary, and even counterproductive. Others believe it is an essential courtesy, and that not calling "Tak" goes against the fundamental spirit of the game.
Neither of these opinions is completely without merit, and the decision falls to the style of each player group as to what is best for your game.
Additional Movement Rules
Carry Limit and Stack Height: There is no upper limit to the height of a stack. However, there is a limit to the number of pieces you can move off of a stack, called the "carry limit."
The carry limit is always equal to the width of the board. So, in a 5x5 game, the largest number of pieces that you can carry is five. That means if you start with a stack of 7, you must leave at least 2 of those pieces in the starting position.
Insurmountable Pieces: Neither a capstone nor a standing stone can have a piece stacked on top of it (except that a capstone can flatten a standing stone). These pieces place and move normally, but can't be stacked upon. Therefore, it's illegal to make a move that would place a piece atop these types of pieces.
Flattening Stones: The capstone can move onto a standing stone, flattening it. A standing stone can be flattened only by the capstone by itself, not by a taller stack with the capstone on top.
A capstone can make a longer move (with a taller stack) before flattening a standing stone, but the capstone must be the only piece that moves onto the standing stone.
A capstone can flatten a standing stone of either color.
Aside from flattening it with a capstone, you cannot lay down a standing stone.
Winning the Game
The goal of the game is to create a road, which is a line of pieces that joins opposite edges of the board (north to south or east to west). This is called a "road win."
A road is mainly composed of flat stones. Your capstone can also be part of a road, but standing stones cannot. If either player has a road, the game is over and that player wins.
Flat Win: The game also ends if the board is full, or if either player runs out of pieces. "Full" means that there are no empty spaces on the board.
As soon as either player fills the last board space, or plays their last piece, the game is over. If no one has a road at this point, then the winner is determined by counting the flat stones. This is called a "flat win."
Count only the flat stones on top of all the stacks on the board. Standing stones and capstones are not counted, nor are flat stones that are covered.
If this count is tied, then the game is a draw.
Double Road: If a single move completes a road for both players, then the active player wins. For example, if White makes a move that creates a white road and a black road, then White wins because it is White's turn.
Scoring
Scoring is not strictly necessary, but it is a good way to track your results over several games.
Because there is a slight advantage for the player who goes first, it's most equitable to play an even number of games, alternating who goes first.
Your score for winning is equal to the size of the board (for example, 25 points in a 5x5 game), plus the number of pieces that remain in your reserve.
For example, in a 4x4 game, if you win the game with 4 unplayed pieces, you score 20 points. This is 16 points for the board, and 4 for the pieces.
Using this system, you will score more points by winning more efficiently.
Basic Strategy
You can learn the basics on a smaller board. 3x3 is actually a little weird, so most people learn on 4x4.
When you play 4x4, you have only 15 stones per side, and no capstone. This quick-playing game lets you learn the offensive abilities of standing stones.
Most of the stones you play will be flat.
In most games, you should expect the first few rounds to involve placing, not moving, because it's advantageous to get more pieces into play. However, there will come a time when you need to make a move, or place a wall, because a flat stone won't accomplish what you want.
Players are often just one or two moves away from winning. Some threats are easy to neutralize, and others are harder (or impossible). Obviously your strategy should be to answer your opponent's threats while developing your own.
Strength builds in stacks. You must play new pieces in empty spaces, so stacks will only form as a result of movement. When you create a stack, pay attention to where it can move, and what other pieces it can cover and control.
When you advance to the 5x5 or 6x6 game, you'll introduce the capstone. Capstones are powerful when they get some range, so try to get them onto a tall stack, ideally comprised mostly of your own pieces. A capstone can't be fully neutralized, but it can be isolated and blocked.
Playing Without a Board
Tak is a super-portable game, especially if you learn to play without a board.
Fancy Tak sets include boards of one kind or another: sturdy wooden boards, versatile leather boards, or boards painted onto cloth squares.
Any decent tavern should have a 5x5 Tak board, or, in the less refined establishments, a board may be scratched into a tabletop. Failing that, one can always mark out a grid with a few lines of chalk.
But it's even more common for people who find themselves without a board simply to mark the center of the board, and imagine the rest.
For a 4x4 or 5x5 game, this is pretty easy. Choose a knot in the tabletop, a scrap of paper, or a nice flat coin to designate the center space. As the pieces accumulate around the center space, the entire board becomes clearly delineated.
If you're lucky enough to own a Tak coin, you can use it to designate the center space of a 5x5 grid, or to mark the center intersection of a 4x4 grid.
Terms and Phrases: The Language of Tak
Players new to Tak can often be confronted with a great deal of new terminology, above and beyond that which is required to actually play the game. Below is a list of common game terms and Tak-related colloquialisms that may help ease your way into the community of players.
Aturan Start: To start the game by throwing each player's first piece onto the board, intended to give the game a more random start. Traditionally one throws one's own piece, not the opponent's.
Brooker's Fall: To run out a tall stack in order to crush one of your own standing stones with your capstone, creating a more powerful and strategically advantageous piece.
Caning: In phrases like "Getting Caned" or "Taking a Caning" this refers to being badly beaten. Specifically, a humiliating defeat delivered by an opponent with less experience, or someone of lower intellect or social class.
Captives: Pieces of the opposite color that are contained within a stack. Also called Prisoners. (Pieces of the same color are called Reserves.)
Coverage: Roughly, the proportion of enemy pieces that are captive. "High coverage" means that a large ratio of enemy pieces are in stacks under your control.
Crushing: The act of a capstone moving onto a standing stone and converting it into a flat stone. Also Toppling or Flattening.
Guard: A standing stone placed near a stack as a blocker, usually to keep a capstone from moving to its full reach.
Hawking: Capturing a stack of your opponent's stones (over several turns) by gathering them up with a standing stone or capstone. This is a gambit overtly intended to collect a large number of captives. This term appears to be regional to the Commonwealth.
Hipper: (archaic) A very tall stack of pieces that greatly exceeds the carry limit of the board. Also occasionally called a Tall Tower.
Hunter: A stack of two same-color stones. Also called a Thane (Vintas) or a Strahl (Modeg).
Fall: Another word for moving a tall stack (see Brooker's Fall). Sometimes also called a Slide.
Foot: A connection to the edge of the board. Based on "foothold." To "lose a foot" is to lose or sacrifice one's connection to an edge.
Lady: A stack of pieces, usually at least three high, topped by a capstone and a piece of matching color. This is a powerful stack which takes some effort to construct. Also referred to as a Proud Lady, a Pike, a Stripe (Vintas), or a Cimbrel (Modeg).
Leg Over: A quick, early-game win, in which a player essentially covers all or nearly all enemy pieces, surprising an inexperienced player.
Lug: A strategically impotent capstone, so called due to its location in a distant part of the board, inability to move, etc. "Lugging" means trying to get this piece into a better position.
Marred Tower: A tall stack topped by a wall, especially one where the wall is directly atop the opposite color. Also Married.
Merk: To defeat an opponent without using your capstone. This concept seems to be one of the most common in the game, with many regional variants. Also Routed, Shut Out, Haket (Siaru), or Asaou (Modegan).
Palace: A 2x2 arrangement of flat stones of the same color. Commonly believed to be a strong, versatile configuration. Also called a Castle or Fort.
Pocket: A strategically powerful empty space, next to two tall stacks. Coined to describe a good location to place a wall or capstone. Also called a Tuck (archaic).
Reach: Of a stack of pieces, the distance that the top stone can move. Taller stacks have more reach.
Reserves: Pieces contained within a stack that is controlled by the same color. (See Captives.)
Running Out: Moving a tall stack a long distance, usually to complete a road.
Skinning: To delay a loss through the excessive or desperate play of standing stones. This strategy can prevent any roads from being complete, and thus force the opponent into a lesser-valued flat win. Also "Skin the Game."
Stone: In some regions, "Stone" refers only to the flat or standing piece, while "Piece" includes stones and capstones. Elsewhere, "Stone" is the preferred term for all types of Tak piece.
Taking the Blind: This is an older custom of choosing to play with your opponent's pieces, from a time when each player carried their own set.
Temskin Wall: A line of standing stones that completely prevents an opponent from making a road.
Trifoil: A double-road win that simultaneously connects all four edges of the board. Not technically better than a normal road win, but infinitely more showy.
Tumbler: A tall stack with a capstone atop a piece of the opposite color. This type of stack is more common but less powerful than a Lady.
Unwinding: Reversing the game to allow a player to undo an unwise move. Also Reeling Back.
Wall: Another term for a standing stone.
Tak Notation
Tak notation is a system for recording Tak games, engineered in 2016 by Tak aficionado Benjamin Wochinski (user BenWo on Reddit).
As in chess, each board space is designated by a letter and a number. With North at the top, the cardinal directions N, S, W, and E are written either as +, -, <, and > (in text) or with arrows: ↑, ↓, ←, and →.
The simplest notation is used for the most common action: placement of a flat stone. This is just the name of the space. For example, placing a flat at c2 would be written as "c2."
If the piece is a standing stone, add an S, as in Sc1. If the piece is a capstone, add a capital C, as in Cb2.
Movement is also written in the simplest terms possible. When moving a single piece, the only required designations are the original space and the direction. For example, moving a piece from a1 to a2 is written as "a1+" or "a1↑."
When moving a stack, beginning with a numeral indicates that you are picking up that number of pieces from the stack. (If this is obvious, the number can be ignored, such as when the stack contains only one piece).
For example, taking 3 pieces off the stack on c2 and moving them south would be written as "3c2-" or "3c2↓."
When dropping pieces as you move, the number of pieces dropped in each space along the path is written at the end of the line. Again, if this is obvious, the numbers can be omitted.
Taking four pieces from a4 and moving them east, dropping 1, 1, and 2, would be written thus: "4a4>112" or "4a4→112." The "112" at the end of this line indicates that pieces were dropped 1, 1, and 2.
What types of pieces are moving, what pieces get covered, and what other results happen (such as a capstone flattening a wall) are not included as part of this notation, because they can be derived by following the game from the beginning.
Game Rules II: Rules for Kaen and Locke
Kaen and Locke are real games, created for the Tak Companion Book. Below are the rules to both.
How to Play Kaen
Kaen, also known as "From the Earth to the Sky," is the oldest known road-building game in Temerant, and is seen as a precursor to modern Tak.
The board is a diamond-shaped 4x4 grid, with the bottom edges representing "Earth" and the top edges representing "Sky."
The goal is to build a bridge connecting Earth to Sky. This is a line of orthogonally connected spaces that joins two opposite sides of the board, which is exactly the same as a road in Tak.
However, the true goal of the game is to win money, and there are several ways for the game to end without a finished bridge.
Components: You need a game board, money for betting, a die, a doubling marker, and about ten stones per player (Tak pieces work nicely).
Board: A 4x4 Tak board is adequate for this game, but it's better if you can mark it with symbols to match the die.
Money: Whether playing for real money or just keeping score, you'll need about 100 chips or coins for each player.
Hut (Die): A traditional hut (die) is marked with four symbols — Arex, Dog, Cat, and Staff, worth 1 through 4 respectively — that designate the rows and columns of the board. Of course, any 4-sided die will do.
Doubling Marker: This can be any object, such as a Tak capstone. This marker represents permission to double, and starts in a neutral state (i.e., granting permission to both players). When a player offers to double, the doubling marker passes to her opponent. Only that player can make the next offer to double, by passing it back, and so on. The marker returns to a neutral state at the end of each game.
To Begin: Players choose opposite sides of the diamond board. Clear the board and place the doubling marker in a neutral spot. On the first game, start with a random player. In subsequent games, start with the loser of the previous game.
Each player makes the same starting bet, for example 2 chips. This bet should be a multiple of 2, because sometimes players can retrieve half of their bet.
Keep the two players' bets in separate stacks, as each bet may change independently during the play of the game.
The total chips in play including both players' bets are collectively called the "pot."
On Each Turn: Usually, you start your turn by rolling the die. (Other options are listed under "Before the Roll.")
Your roll gives you permission to place a stone in an empty space in the indicated row. One player's rows are the other player's columns. For example, if you roll a 2, you can play a stone in any empty space in your "2" row.
Full Row: If you can't place a piece, because the designated row is full, you must choose one of these two options: you may forfeit the game, or you may match your bet and continue.
"Matching" your bet means adding more money equal to the current size of your bet. For example, if your bet stands at 4, you must add another 4 to make it 8. You will place no stone on this turn, and the turn passes to your opponent.
Bridge Win: If you complete a bridge, you win the game and collect the pot. (A bridge is a string of pieces connecting two opposite sides of the board, exactly like a road in Tak.)
Full Board: If the board is filled, the game is over. If no one has made a bridge, then the player with more pieces in play is the winner.
If the number of pieces in play is tied, then the players divide the money in the pot. (This is not the same as each player retrieving his bet, because the bets can change size independently.)
Before the Roll: You have two options before you roll the die. You can double or surrender.
Double: If you have the doubling marker, or if it is neutral, you may offer it to your opponent. They may either accept the offer, or forfeit the game. If they accept, both players double their current bet, and the game continues. You then proceed to roll the die as usual. Obviously you will double when you think you are in a strong position to win.
Surrender: If you don't like your odds of winning, you can surrender before you roll. In this case, take back half your total bet, and forfeit the game.
Keeping Score: This is a gambling game, so the long-term goal is to finish with more money than you started with. If you wish to play a series of fixed length, choose a number of games and then compare your holdings at the end. You will have to decide whether a player is eliminated when she runs out of money, or if she can reload.
One option when a player is out of chips is to reload both players and double the stakes! This is more practical when you are playing only for points; when playing for money, each game should be considered independent, and the stakes should be chosen at the start of each game.
Example Game: On the first turn, both players make an initial bet of $2. Player 1's first roll is a 2, so he can place a stone in any spot along his row 2. He places at (2,3).
In Kaen you are often making strategic decisions between completing your own bridge and blocking your opponent's bridges and rows.
For the first few rounds, placement is normal. Then Player 2 rolls a 3, selecting a row that is already full. She could forfeit now, but she chooses to match her bet.
The strategy behind this decision is that for P2, three rows are still open. For P1, three rows are blocked. This means P1 is far more likely to get stuck with a bad roll. And at this point in the game, neither player can complete a bridge.
On the next turn, P1 rolls a 1, and is indeed blocked. He could have surrendered before the roll, taking back $1 and losing only $1. Now he has to decide whether to forfeit (losing $2) or put out another $2.
Since on the next turn P2 will probably double, P1 decides that his best odds are to forfeit rather than paying the extra $2 on this turn. This ends the game, and P2 collects the pot of $6.
How to Play Locke
Locke, also called "Centerline," is a quick-playing strategy game, played on a 5x5 board with ten pieces per player. Locke has its roots in Ademre, and is still played there, though not widely.
Equipment: A 5x5 board and ten pieces per player.
Your pieces can be anything: Tak pieces, pebbles, buttons, or coins. It's not necessary that the pieces be able to stack, but it's nice if they can.
When the pieces don't stack, the Locke board can be made with shallow wells rather than flat spaces, to keep multiple pieces grouped in the same spot. This can be accomplished by carving wells in wood or stone, or just by making divots in the ground.
Setup: Each player starts with eight pieces on the board: a full row of five on their back rank, and three pieces on the middle three spaces of the next row in. Your other two pieces start in reserve.
Starting Player: On the first game, play begins with a random player. On subsequent games, the loser of the previous game goes first.
Object: The object of the game is to occupy any three spaces along the middle row.
Stacking: Pieces of the same color can stack up, creating larger and more powerful stacks. The maximum size of a stack is 3 pieces.
Each Turn: On your turn, you will usually move one of your stacks (a "stack" can be size 1, 2, or 3). Instead of moving, you may play one piece from your reserve into an empty space in your first row.
Movement: Different-sized stacks can move and capture in different ways. In general, pieces can move into an empty space, or they may combine with allied pieces, up to a maximum stack size of 3.
Stacks can move a distance up to their size (1 space for a stack of 1, etc.), along a straight, open path. There are no jumps and no diagonal moves.
A stack can capture a stack that is exactly 1 piece smaller than it (for example, a 3 can capture a 2).
Capturing: Captured stacks are knocked out of play. When a stack is captured, its component pieces return to their owner's reserve, from which they can be put back into play one at a time.
Playing a New Piece: On your turn, rather than making a move, you may play a piece from your reserve into an empty space on your first row.
Rules for Move and Capture
One Piece: A stack of one piece can move one space, either into empty space, or to combine with an allied stack of height 1 or 2. Stacks of height 1 can't capture.
Two Pieces: A stack of two can move one or two spaces, either into empty space, or to combine with an allied stack of height 1. Stacks of height 2 can capture enemy stacks of height 1.
Three Pieces: A stack of three pieces moves up to three spaces. It can't combine with more pieces, because the maximum size is 3. Stacks of height 3 can only capture enemy stacks of height 2.
Starvation Rule: You lose the game if, at the end of a turn, you have fewer than three stacks in play.
No Reverse Moves: It is not legal to make a move that is the exact reverse of your previous move.
Stalemate: If both players repeatedly choose to loop the game back to a prior game state, this is a stalemate. In this case, the game is a draw.
Modern Variations of Locke: Locke is still played today, primarily in Ademre, where it is occasionally referred to as Llean. Elsewhere in the world, it is also called Centerline.
Players commonly use Tak pieces and Tak boards, so pieces can be stacked rather than grouped. This is why we describe the groups of pieces as "stacks," and not "groups."
In the modern game, there is no limit to the height of a stack, and every stack can still capture only a stack that is one piece smaller.
Modern players sometimes play with 12 or 14 pieces, with the extras starting in reserve. These pieces aid in the creation of taller stacks, so this feeds nicely into a game with no stack limit.